JP3654134B2 - O-ring test equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an O-ring test apparatus that measures various body information such as body suitability determination, abnormal site determination, and information identification.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in medical diagnosis, a technique called a bi-digital O-ring test (hereinafter referred to as an O-ring test) is known as a method for diagnosing an abnormal site of a subject (patient) (US Pat. No. 518810). This means that the first finger (thumb) of one hand of the subject faces one finger that satisfies the conditions of the other second, third, fourth, and fifth fingers, and a ring (O-ring) with the two fingers. Make you continually work. While the examiner (measurer) opens the two fingers from both sides, the strength of the finger of the subject to be maintained is determined.
[0003]
This O-ring test is a biosensor test that uses the muscle tonus state. When the muscle strength of the finger is weakened with the subject pointing at an arbitrary organ representative point, the O-ring opens and the organ is abnormal. It means that it is normal when it doesn't open strongly. Only the case of the thymus means the opposite. With this, you can discover abnormal parts of the body.
[0004]
In addition, when a sample of a specific substance in the subject is put on the hand and examined by the same technique, if the same substance is present in the subject's living body, the O-ring opens when the finger muscle strength is weakened. If there is a substance, the muscle strength of the finger will weaken and the O-ring will open. It is interpreted as a phenomenon that occurs when these substances resonate, and is called a resonance test. By using this method, the distribution of bacteria, viruses, cancer, in vivo metabolites, hormones, neurotransmitters, heavy metals, drugs, etc. in the living body can be determined and diseases can be diagnosed. The O-ring test is an auxiliary diagnostic method that is performed as an examination before diagnosis by a normal medical latest inspection device.
[0005]
By the way, in the above-described O-ring test, there is a possibility that an uncertain factor of the finger of the examiner trying to open the O-ring enters. That is, the examiner must generate an external force that opens the O-ring with a constant force and the same rhythm every time, but the examiner may perform the O-ring test with a non-uniform force. In addition, even if the examiner intends to put effort evenly, there is no objective index, so there is a possibility that an implied effect and other consciousness may be involved.
[0006]
Therefore, as a device for performing the O-ring test with a finger other than the examiner's finger, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-163552 (hereinafter referred to as the first conventional technology) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-38463 (hereinafter referred to as the second conventional technology). An apparatus disclosed in “Technology”) is known.
[0007]
In the first prior art, a bag means is inserted into an O-ring composed of a thumb and other fingers formed by a subject, and an external force is generated to expand the bag means by controlling the press-fitting means to open the O-ring. After that, the contact / separation state of the finger forming the O-ring is detected by the contact / separation detection means based on the inflow / outflow state of the gas, This is a device that secondarily measures changes in muscle strength based on the output of the pressure detection means.
[0008]
In addition, the second prior art is such that the pair of rings are engaged with the thumb and other fingers forming the subject's O-ring, respectively, and an external force for opening the O-ring to the pair of rings is applied to the electric motor. The external force is measured based on the output of the external force detection means, and the measurement result and the external force immediately before detecting that the thumb measured from the subject before the O-ring test is separated from the other finger are detected. This is a device for comparing and calculating the measurement result by the measuring means.
[0009]
In such a conventional technique, the external force for opening the O-ring is changed to a tester's hand (measurement person) into which an uncertain factor enters, and in the first conventional technique, a bag means is provided, and in the second conventional technique, a pair of rings are provided. Therefore, a constant external force can be applied to the O-ring.
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the first prior art, gas is press-fitted into the bag means inserted into the O-ring, and the O-ring is opened by the expansion of the bag means. Therefore, the examiner tries to open the two fingers of the O-ring with fingers. Unlike the original O-ring test, the function as the O-ring test may not be sufficiently exhibited.
[0011]
In addition, the second conventional technique is such that the pair of rings locally contact the thumb and other fingers of the subject forming the O-ring, and do not touch with a soft feeling like a human finger. Will be given. In addition, since this prior art uses an electric motor, the electromagnetic waves generated by this electric motor affect the biological reaction, and the result of the O-ring test may not be obtained accurately. There is a risk of becoming a test device.
[0012]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and generates an external force in a direction in which the O-ring is gently brought into contact with the thumb and other fingers forming the O-ring of the subject like a human finger. A further object is to provide a compact O-ring test apparatus that can prevent the influence of the apparatus itself on the biological reaction and obtain the results of the O-ring test accurately.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, an O-ring test apparatus according to claim 1 is configured such that an O-ring is formed by a thumb and other fingers made up of a voluntary muscle of a subject and the O-ring is opened to open the O-ring. The thumb forming the O-ring in an O-ring test apparatus that measures physical information in accordance with a change in the muscle strength of the voluntary muscle in a state where the muscle strength of the voluntary muscle of the subject trying to maintain the ring is antagonized And at least two fluid chambers that are engaged with each other and enclose a fluid are arranged in parallel, and an external force that attempts to open the O-ring by bending deformation due to fluid movement between these fluid chambers And at least two pseudo fingers that generate fluid, pump means for moving fluid between a plurality of fluid chambers of these pseudo fingers, and pressure values of fluid in the pseudo fingers when the external force is generated. Pressure detecting means, pump driving means for controlling the driving of the pump unit, contact / separation detecting means for detecting contact / separation of the thumb and another finger, and the thumb / other finger being moved by the contact / separation detection means. It is an apparatus provided with a muscular strength change calculating means for calculating a muscular strength change of the voluntary muscle before and after the detection of being separated based on an output of the pressure detecting means.
[0014]
The invention described in claim 2 is the O-ring test apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying a result of the muscle force change calculation means.
[0015]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the O-ring test apparatus according to the second aspect, the pump means is integrally connected to the proximal end portion of the pseudo finger.
[0016]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the O-ring test apparatus according to the third aspect, the pump means includes a diaphragm defining a pump fluid chamber between the pseudo finger and the diaphragm, and the diaphragm And a valve unit for setting the fluid movement direction of the fluid chamber of one tube and the fluid chamber of the other tube via the pump fluid chamber.
[0017]
The invention according to claim 5 is the O-ring test apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pseudo-finger has an elongated shape that can be inflated and contracted with a fluid chamber as a fluid chamber. At least two tubes were arranged in parallel with each other, and a flexible core material for regulating the expansion in the longitudinal direction of each tube was interposed between these tubes.
[0018]
The invention according to claim 6 is the O-ring test apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the tube of the pseudo-finger in contact with the thumb and the other finger forming the O-ring is made to be flexible and elastic. Made of material.
[0019]
Furthermore, the invention according to claim 7 is the O-ring test apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fluid enclosed in the fluid chamber is liquid, and the outer periphery of the pseudo finger has a liquid absorption function. The outer periphery covering member was covered.
[0020]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of an O-ring test apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0021]
FIG. 1 shows an O-ring test apparatus according to a first embodiment. This apparatus includes a contact / separation detection sensor 2 sandwiched between a thumb forming an O-ring and the tip of another finger, and a soft The base end portion is supported by the rubber fixing portion D, and a pair of pseudo hands 4 that generate an external force to open the O-ring, and driving control of the pair of pseudo finger portions 4 are performed, and an external force is generated. The apparatus main body 6 which calculates and displays the muscular strength change of the voluntary muscles of the thumb and other fingers at the time is provided.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 2, each pseudo finger 4 is integrally connected to two pseudo fingers 8A and 8B and the base ends of these pseudo fingers 8A and 8B, and enclosed in the pseudo fingers 8A and 8B. And a pump unit 10 that controls movement of low-viscosity hydraulic oil as a fluid.
[0023]
The pseudo fingers 8A and 8B cover the two elongated tubes 12 and 14 having a bellows-shaped wall surface, the core material 16 holding the parallel arrangement of the tubes 12 and 14, and the outer periphery of the tubes 12 and 14. And a thin film bag-like covering member 18 made of a polymer polymer.
[0024]
The tubes 12 and 14 are made of a flexible elastic material, and are filled with hydraulic oil such as liquid silicon with the interiors thereof as fluid chambers 12a and 14a. The core material 16 is a steel member having flexibility, for example, and allows only the expansion in the width direction while restricting the expansion in the longitudinal direction of the tubes 12 and 14.
[0025]
The pump unit 10 employs a piezo-type diaphragm pump. The pump unit case 20 includes a cylindrical pump unit case 20 that is integrally connected to the lower portion of the pseudo fingers 8A and 8B while maintaining liquid tightness, and each of the tubes 12 and 14. An active valve 22 serving as a valve unit disposed in the pump unit case 20 by partitioning the fluid chambers 12a and 14a, and a diaphragm defining a pump fluid chamber (not shown) in a space below the active valve 22 26 and a piezo element 28 laminated on the lower surface of the diaphragm 26.
[0026]
The pump part case 20 is embedded in the fixed part D described above. The piezo element 28 is a known piezoelectric actuator made of an element having a so-called piezoelectric effect. There are various types of materials having a piezoelectric effect, ranging from quartz to polymers, but a typical example of a piezoelectric actuator is lead zirconate titanate (PZT), which is a type of piezoelectric ceramic. By changing the voltage applied to the piezo element 28, the piezo element 28 is extended, thereby changing the shape of the diaphragm 26 and changing the internal pressure of the pump fluid chamber.
[0027]
Although not shown, the active valve 22 is a device including, for example, a solenoid type switching valve that sets the fluid movement direction of the hydraulic oil between the two fluid chambers, and is operated by an opening / closing control current sent from the device body 6. .
[0028]
Here, each tube 12, 14 is provided with a pressure sensor 30 for detecting the fluid pressure in the fluid chambers 12 a, 14 a, so that the fluid pressure detection information is sent to the apparatus body 6 as needed. It has become.
[0029]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus body 6 includes a microcomputer 32, a driver 34, a display 36, and an operation panel (not shown).
[0030]
The microcomputer 32 drives and controls the pump unit 10 according to a predetermined program and an input interface circuit 32a having an A / D conversion function for reading detection signals from the contact / separation sensor 2 and the plurality of pressure sensors 30 as detection values. A calculation processing device 32b for performing a predetermined calculation process for calculating the voluntary muscle strength of the subject, a storage device 32c such as a RAM and a ROM, and an open / close control signal for the active valve 22 obtained by the calculation processing device 32b. And an output interface circuit 32d that outputs a voltage control signal of the piezo element 28, an active valve drive circuit 32e that outputs an open / close control current to each active valve 22 based on the open / close control signal output from the output interface circuit 32d, and an output interface A terminal is connected to the piezo element 28 based on the voltage control signal output from the circuit 32d. And a terminal voltage control circuit 32f for outputting a pressure.
Here, the storage device 32c stores the pressure value of the fluid chamber 12a that changes when the O-ring test is started, and the muscular strength of the voluntary muscle of the finger that forms the O-ring of the examiner corresponding to the pressure value. Is remembered.
[0031]
Further, display data is supplied from the microcomputer 32 to the driver 34. Thereby, the driver 34 drives the display 36 based on the display data, and displays the result of the O-ring test.
[0032]
Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the procedure for performing the O-ring test and the operation of each member will be briefly described.
[0033]
First, as shown in FIG. 1, the test subject is in a state where an O-ring is formed by the thumb and the index finger.
[0034]
Next, the subject operates the operation panel to instruct the start of the O-ring test.
Thereby, the microcomputer 32 outputs an open / close control current from the active valve drive circuit 32e, and repeats the communication state of the fluid chamber 12a and the pump fluid chamber and the communication state of the fluid chamber 14a and the pump fluid chamber every predetermined time. Thus, the active valve 22 is controlled to open and close. At the same time, when the fluid chamber 14a and the pump fluid chamber are in communication with each other, the piezo element 28 is extended by the terminal voltage output from the terminal voltage control circuit 32f, and the diaphragm 26 is elastically deformed downward to pump. The hydraulic oil in the fluid chamber 14a is caused to flow into the pump fluid chamber by lowering the internal pressure of the fluid chamber. Further, when the fluid chamber 12a and the pump fluid chamber are in communication with each other, the output of the terminal voltage from the terminal voltage control circuit 32f is stopped, the diaphragm 26 is elastically restored to increase the internal pressure of the pump fluid chamber, As a result, the hydraulic oil in the pump fluid chamber flows into the fluid chamber 12a. The pump unit 10 repeats this operation to move the hydraulic oil from the fluid chamber 14a of the tube 14 that is not in contact with the finger forming the O-ring to the fluid chamber 12a of the tube 12 that is in contact with the finger. The tube 14 not in contact with the tube contracts and the tube 12 in contact with the finger expands.
[0035]
Since the expansion of the tube 12 in the longitudinal direction is restricted by the core material 16, the tube 12 expands in the width direction while bending the core material 16, and the pseudo fingers 8A and 8B are curved and deformed.
[0036]
Next, the microcomputer 32 monitors the detection value of the pressure sensor 30, and when the pressure in the fluid chamber 12a suddenly increases, an external force that causes the pseudo fingers 8A and 8B, which are largely curved and deformed, to open the O-ring. Is determined to have occurred. Then, the microcomputer 32 starts monitoring the detection value from the contact / separation sensor 2, stores the pressure value of the pressure sensor 30 that gradually increases in the storage device 32 c, and displays the pressure value on the display 36. to continue.
[0037]
Eventually, when the microcomputer 32 confirms that the thumb forming the O-ring and the index finger have separated from each other based on the detection value from the contact / separation sensor 2, based on the storage table and the pressure value stored in the storage device 32 c, The muscular strength change of voluntary muscles of the thumb and index finger is calculated and displayed on the display 36.
[0038]
According to the O-ring test apparatus having the above-described configuration, after the pump portion is controlled to deform the pseudo fingers 8A and 8B of the pair of pseudo finger portions 4 to generate an external force for opening the O-ring, The contact / separation state of the index finger can be monitored by the contact / separation sensor 2, and the muscle strength change of the voluntary muscle before and after the thumb and the index finger are separated can be calculated based on the output of the pressure sensor 30 and displayed on the display 36. Therefore, the result of the O-ring test can be obtained accurately only by the examiner.
[0039]
And since this embodiment does not use the electric motor etc. which are easy to generate | occur | produce electromagnetic waves like the prior art, there is no external factor which influences a test subject's biological reaction, and obtains the result of an O-ring test much more correctly. be able to.
[0040]
Further, the core material 16 constituting the pseudo fingers 8A and 8B regulates the expansion in the longitudinal direction of the tubes 12 and 14, and the tubes 12 and 14 are arranged in parallel while being bent so as to allow only the expansion in the width direction. Since the arrangement is maintained, the pseudo fingers 8A and 8B can be reliably curved and deformed like a human finger.
[0041]
In addition, since the tube 12 that contacts the examiner's finger is formed of a flexible material, the examiner who performs the O-ring test does not feel uncomfortable.
[0042]
Further, since the covering member 18 is made of a high molecular polymer, the covering member 18 is not absorbed and leaked to the outside even if hydraulic oil leaks from the tubes 12 and 14.
[0043]
Moreover, since the pump unit 10 is integrally disposed at the base end portion of the pseudo fingers 8A and 8 and a large-sized device such as an electric motor is not used, a compact device configuration can be achieved.
In addition, what is shown in FIG. 4 shows other embodiment of a pair of pseudo hands.
[0044]
The pair of pseudo hands 50 according to the present embodiment includes one pseudo finger 52. The pseudo finger 52 has the same configuration as the pseudo finger 8A of the first embodiment, and generates an external force to open the O-ring by being curved and deformed.
[0045]
When the pair of pseudo hands 50 are controlled in the same manner as the constituent members of the first embodiment, the same operational effects can be obtained and the single pseudo hand 52 is controlled, so that the control can be simplified. Can do.
[0046]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the O-ring test apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, the pump means is controlled to deform at least two pseudo fingers to generate an external force for opening the O-ring. After that, the contact / separation state of the thumb and the other finger is monitored by the contact / separation detection means, and the muscle force change calculation means detects the muscle strength change of the voluntary muscle before and after the thumb and the other finger are separated. Since the calculation is performed based on the detected value, the result of the O-ring test can be obtained accurately.
[0047]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the change in voluntary muscle strength calculated by the muscle strength change calculation means can be viewed on the display means, the result of the O-ring test can be obtained accurately only by the examiner.
[0048]
According to the third and fourth aspects of the invention, since the small pump portion is integrally disposed at the base end portion of the pseudo finger, a compact device configuration can be obtained. And since the electric motor which is easy to generate | occur | produce electromagnetic waves is not used as a drive means, there is no external factor which affects a test subject's biological reaction, and the result of an O-ring test can be obtained still more correctly.
[0049]
Further, according to the invention of claim 5, since the core material regulates the expansion in the longitudinal direction of each tube and holds the parallel arrangement of the tubes while being bent so as to allow only the expansion in the width direction, The pseudo finger can be surely deformed like a human finger.
[0050]
Further, according to the invention described in claim 6, the examiner who performs the O-ring test does not give a sense of incongruity.
[0051]
Further, according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, even if the liquid leaks from the inside of the tube, the outer peripheral covering member does not absorb and leak to the outside.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of an O-ring test apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a pseudo finger and pump means constituting an O-ring test apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a view showing an apparatus main body of an O-ring test apparatus.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of an O-ring test apparatus according to another embodiment having a different pseudo finger configuration.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Contact / separation sensor (contact / separation detection means)
6 Device body 8A, 8B, 52 Pseudo finger 10 Pump part (pump means)
12, 14 Tubes 12a, 14a Pressure chamber 16 Core 18 Cover member (outer periphery cover member)
22 Valve unit 26 Diaphragm 28 Piezo element 30 Pressure sensor (pressure detection means)
32 Microcomputer (pump drive means, muscle force change calculation means)
36 Display (display means)

Claims (7)

A state in which an O-ring is formed by a thumb and other fingers composed of a voluntary muscle of a subject, and an external force that attempts to open the O-ring and a muscle strength of the voluntary muscle of the subject that intends to maintain the O-ring In the O-ring test apparatus for measuring physical information according to the muscle force change of the voluntary muscle,
At least two fluid chambers which are respectively engaged with the thumb and other fingers forming the O-ring and sealed with fluid are arranged in parallel, and are deformed by bending due to fluid movement between the fluid chambers. At least two pseudo fingers that generate an external force for opening the O-ring, pump means for moving fluid between a plurality of fluid chambers of the pseudo fingers, and the pseudo when the external force is generated Pressure detecting means for detecting the pressure value of the fluid in the finger, pump driving means for controlling the driving of the pump unit, contact / separation detecting means for detecting contact / separation of the thumb and another finger, and the contact / separation detection Muscular strength change calculating means for calculating a muscular strength change of the voluntary muscle before and after detecting that the thumb and the other finger are separated by means based on an output of the pressure detecting means, O ringte Winding device. 2. The O-ring test apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying a result of the muscle force change calculation means. 3. The O-ring test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pump means is integrally connected to a base end portion of the pseudo finger. The pump means comprises a diaphragm defining a pump fluid chamber between the end of the pseudo finger, a piezoelectric element stacked on the diaphragm, and a fluid in one tube through the pump fluid chamber. The O-ring test apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a valve section that sets a fluid moving direction of the chamber and the fluid chamber of the other tube. The pseudo finger is arranged in parallel with each other at least two elongated tubes that can be expanded and contracted with the fluid chamber as the fluid chamber, and the longitudinal expansion of each tube can be regulated between these tubes. The O-ring test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a flexible core material is interposed. The O-ring test apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the tube of the pseudo-finger that is in contact with the thumb and other fingers forming the O-ring is formed of a flexible elastic material. The O-ring test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fluid enclosed in the fluid chamber is a liquid, and the outer periphery of the pseudo finger is covered with an outer periphery covering member having a liquid absorption function. .

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